Last week, my husband and I decided to try to track down a pub near Sabden, which we went to years ago and remembered fondly, so off we went in pursuit of The Red Fox. We subsequently discovered that the pub was actually called The Red Rock and sadly we found that it is now a private residence. As we were near Sabden, we decided to seek out Sabden Treacle Mines – remember those? Although this attraction does not appear to be open any longer either, I will have fond memories of hearing about the treacle-eating boggarts who mined the treacle under the ground while the witches of Pendle Hill danced above them!
However, the day was certainly not all a wild fox, I mean, goose chase. As we also had our four year old daughter with us, we headed towards Barley, knowing there was a children’s playground there by the river and consequently had lunch at the pub opposite, Pennine Inn. Although not currently in the Taste Lancashire quality scheme, looking at the menu promoting local produce, it could be a good candidate. We were both seduced by the Port of Lancaster potted fish dish, but other local offerings included Garstang Blue cheese from Dew-Lay and Moorhouses Ale, which is used in the Pendle Pie.
Our “search” did two things. It reminded of just how beautiful the countryside around Burnley and Pendle is – the winding roads, the small communities, the majestic and ubiquitous Pendle Hill, just 50 metres short of being a mountain.
On our route we passed several inviting country pubs including Fencegate Inn which looked very busy from the number of people sitting outside, enjoying the sunshine and this served as another reminder, that while some businesses may now have gone, there are so many good quality places still out there and looking forward to a good summer.
Barbara Howorth
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